Funding for the repair of flood damage: Observe the deadlines for submitting damage reports!
Notes on the Flood Damage Directive
Extensive reconstruction aid for private individuals, associations and companies is planned for those affected by the floods in June. The Flood Damage Directive 2013 regulates the granting of financial aid for the repair of flood damage.
Those affected should observe the reporting deadlines. Companies must report their damage by 31 December 2013, while private individuals and associations must generally report their damage by 31 December 2014. A particularly short deadline applies to damage to municipal infrastructure, which must be reported by 31 July 2013. This deadline may also apply to associations that maintain municipal infrastructure such as sports or cultural facilities (details below). It may therefore be necessary to act quickly.
Guideline regulates deadlines and funding amounts
The main purpose of granting financial aid is to repair the damage and ensure sustainable reconstruction. This can also mean reconstruction elsewhere if this is necessary from a flood protection perspective.
Damage caused by flooding as well as damage caused by wild run-off water, flash floods, rising groundwater, overflowing sewers and landslides are eligible for funding. The decisive factor is the verifiable time of the damage caused by the flooding and heavy rainfall events in the period May/June 2013.
The guideline is divided into three funding areas
- Section B Reconstruction aid for companies
- Section C Reconstruction aid for private individuals and associations
- Section D Development aid for public infrastructure organisations
Financial aid by section for companies, private individuals and associations (sections B and C)
Those affected should contact the Sächsische Aufbaubank (SAB) directly with their applications. The SAB has compiled all the necessary information and application documents on the website www.sab.sachsen.de. The SAB provides advice on the information hotline 0351 4910 4966.
The following applies to all applications in sections B and C: The applicant must have obtained confirmation from the City of Chemnitz that the measure to be subsidised is located in the defined area of the 2013 floods. The required confirmation can be obtained from the City of Chemnitz Environmental Office, Annaberger Straße 93, Room 314.
Special attention should be paid to companies:
- the grant amount is up to 50% of the proven expenditure,
- Damage is generally recognised from a damage amount of € 5,000.00,
- a damage report is required for damages of €25,000.00 or more (with the exception of the commercial sector and the liberal professions, where a report must be submitted in all cases),
- Applications for funding must be received by the SAB by 31 December 2013 at the latest.
Special attention should be paid to private individuals and associations.
- the grant amount is up to 50% of the proven expenditure,
- Damage is generally considered from a damage amount of € 5,000.00, for associations from € 2,000.00,
- a damage report is required from a damage amount of € 25,000.00,
- Applications for funding must be received by the SAB by 31 December 2014 at the latest (for the required documents, see guideline section C III no. 6).
Short deadline for associations with public infrastructure
Associations and companies that are also responsible for public infrastructure are requested to submit damage reports to the reconstruction department of the City of Chemnitz in order to be considered in the action plan procedure in accordance with Section D.
However, the deadline for submitting the collected damage reports to the Saxony State Directorate is 31 July 2013. The responsible body must have submitted the damage report to the reconstruction department of the City of Chemnitz by 25 July 2013 at the latest using the form provided for this purpose(www.lds.sachsen.de under Flood 2013 | Public Infrastructure) . Damage reports are accepted at the City Planning Office, Annaberger Straße 89, Room 514.
If the damaged property is included in the reconstruction plan of the City of Chemnitz, funding of up to 90 % of the proven expenditure can be granted.
For associations and companies, the following features in particular may be available for categorisation in Section D - public infrastructure:
- Social and educational infrastructure that is included in a needs-based or comparable plan
- Cultural, sports, leisure, nature, environmental and tourism infrastructure, in particular sports facilities, sports facilities, swimming pools, basic tourist facilities, cultural facilities
- However, it is a condition that the organisation or company is not the tenant of the infrastructure facility. The relevant specialist office (cultural office or sports office) will advise those affected who are unsure whether the conditions are met.
Action plan procedure for public infrastructure organisations (Section D)
For local authorities and all other providers of public infrastructure, there is a multi-stage procedure, unlike for companies and private individuals. Starting with brief reports on individual measures by 31 July 2013 and plausibility checks at state level and only then the submission of the full funding applications by the City of Chemnitz and the other public infrastructure bodies on the basis of the confirmed reconstruction plans.
The Flood Damage Guidelines 2013 provide for a hardship provision under Section E for cases of damage that cannot be allocated. Decisions on hardship cases are made by a clarification centre at the SAB.
Further important information:
- Approval for the early commencement of measures without funding is deemed to have been granted. The financing risk prior to binding approval is borne by the respective client.
- Grants already received will be taken into account.
- Donations and insurance payments are initially offset against the required own funds and only then reduce the grant.
- In the case of construction elsewhere, only the notional restoration costs of the damaged property are subsidised.